Lily Bulbs That Will Not Bloom

Environment

• Lilies require, above all else, well-drained soil. If the soil remains soaking wet for up to five hours after a heavy rain, it doesn't drain well enough for lily bulbs. This causes several fungal diseases that effectively rot the bulbs. Dig them up and check for rot and replant those that are healthy either in amended soil or in another area. To amend the soil, remove the top 6 inches and shovel it into a wheelbarrow to transport to another part of the garden. Pour 3 inches of compost and 3 inches of the coarsest sand you can find onto the bed and mix it well.

Critters

• All kinds of critters love the taste of tender lily bulbs and go to great lengths to get at them. Mice and deer are the most notorious pests. Moles dig the tunnels the mice use, and the tunnels may disturb or damage the bulb. One of the most effective methods of protecting lily bulbs is to sink an empty aluminum food can into the soil until its rim is just slightly below the surface. Drop the bulb into the can and fill it with soil.

Fertilizer

• Insufficient fertilizer or not fertilizing correctly may cause a lily bulb to not bloom. The time to apply fertilizer is when you first notice sprouts. Side-dress the bulbs to avoid burning them with the fertilizer. Dig a trench, 2 inches deep and 2 inches to the side of the bulb. Sprinkle the fertilizer in the trench, fill it with soil and water to a depth of 6 inches. Fertilize again in six weeks. Use a 5-10-10 fertilizer at the rate specified on the label.

Crowding

• After several years in the ground, the lily bulb may have produced so many bulbs that it is crowded. You will know this has happened when the bulb produces spindly stems and no blooms. Dig up the lily bulbs, wash the soil off of them with a hose and gently twist and pull them apart. Twist each bulb to remove the stem and discard it. Replant the bulbs immediately so that they don't dry out.